“GLEE” TACKLES RELIGION

Catalyst November Issue 2010

On a recent episode of the Fox show “Glee,” the producers decided to address religion. A gay atheist was treated with sympathy for his victim status, the victimizer being Christianity, especially Catholicism. Judaism was treated with kid gloves and Islam got a pass. In other words, it was the usual Hollywood stuff.

The show revolved around a football player who sees an image of Jesus in his grilled cheese sandwich, labeling it “Grilled Cheesus.” Throughout the show the audience was treated to such lines as “I think God is kind of like Santa Claus for adults. Otherwise, God’s kind of a jerk, isn’t he?”; “Asking someone to believe in a fantasy [religion]…however comforting, isn’t a moral thing to do. It’s cruel.” References to Catholicism included mocking quips about “Sweet Holy Mother of God Academy.”

The pivotal remark, which set the tone, was made by the gay atheist: “The reason I don’t go to church is because most churches don’t think very much of gay people. Or women. Or science.”

The very next week, “Glee” followed up by bashing Christian sensibilities again. This time it featured the character Finn as a Catholic priest, and Rachel as a nun in provocative attire. They were shown singing “With You I’m Born Again.”

According to a review on tvsquad.com, this was another “emotional episode about religion,” one in which Finn and Rachel were in a duet competition “wearing a super inappropriate costume set.”

Actually, neither episode was about religion, in general: both were about Catholicism, and both were meant to mock. Why not admit it?

Why do the writers and producers of “Glee” loathe diversity? Why weren’t they more “inclusive” (as they love to say) and choose Muslim characters? Just think of all the fun they could have with an imam and a Muslim woman performing a silly duet “wearing a super inappropriate costume set”!

These episodes were a reflection of what Hollywood scriptwriters and producers believe. Back in 1986, S. Robert Lichter, Stanley Rothman and Linda Lichter wrote a landmark book, The Media Elite. The three social scientists, not affiliated with conservative causes, found that the media elite had nothing in common with most Americans on the subject of religion: while 94 percent of Americans identified themselves as religious, only 50 percent of the media elite did. Even more striking, while 86 percent of the public said religion was important to them, 86 percent of the media elite said they seldom or never attend church. Studies since have shown that nothing much has changed.

Homosexuality and atheism are all the rage these days with the cultural elite. And as “Glee” demonstrated, so is ripping on Christians.